One Touch Seals the Deal
by rokubi-raijuu
Summary: Jubilife City Contest - the first time Zoey and Dawn ever met. However, this time it's from Zoey's point of view. Just what was she thinking throughout that whole thing? Appealshipping. Two-shot.
1. Chapter 1

'Ello all~

This is Mimi again, with yet another appealshipping thing. xD (I'm on a roll?) Again, I don't (unfortunately) own any of the characters, but this story idea was mine… although a good portion of the dialogue and stuff is not. ;__;

Please read and review, as always! Danke~

---

**One Touch to Seal the Deal**

_Three Contests, one ribbon. _

A confident smile lit the face of the young red-headed girl standing commandingly on the cobbled streets of the well-known Jubilife City, hands on her hips as her dark eyes blazed as brightly with confidence as the sun high above. _Soon, make that four and two. _

The bustling Jubilife City lived well up to its name of 'jubilant life'. Filled everyday with crowds of friendly people inhabiting the tall buildings and traversing the chipped cobblestone roads, one would never be bored coming here or without a sight to catch their eye. Zoey had never been this far away from her comparatively mundane life in Snowpoint City before, but this was most definitely a dazzling enough place to earn her second ribbon. It would bring her another step closer to entering in the Sinnoh Grand Festival and fulfilling her life's dream once and for all: to become a master coordinator. The weather was beautiful this particular day – the sun was beaming down high in a cloudless sky, and a gentle breeze danced about, fluttering through hair and teasing people's clothing as it swooped and twirled gaily. With a mild temperature of a mere sixty – seventy degrees, it would be a perfect condition for the Contest.

Anticipation glittered in the young girl's eyes as she beheld the grand Contest building before her. Grand and imposing, one could easily tell that the marvelous structure had been built just for the purpose of showing off Pokemon. The ivory marble shimmered in the sunlight like a thousand diamonds, the pale screen doors seeming to wordlessly decree 'come in, if you dare.' _That ribbon's gonna be mine,_ she thought privately to herself whilst striding forward, steps self-assured and purposeful. There wasn't any feeling quite like the rush of adrenaline before a Contest, seeing coordinators in their different outfits, getting their Pokemon ready for the appeal round. Long ago, this sight struck nervousness and anxiety into the redhead's heart, but now, with three Contests' experience under her belt, those unnecessary feelings were long gone, replaced by a heightened sense of self-esteem.

At about that moment, a soft and enticing "meowrr~" broke Zoey from her trance and she let her maroon gaze slide down to the cobbled pathway beneath her, spotting a lavender and white colored cat elegantly weaving its way towards her, a contented smile on its muzzle.

"Glameow!" she exclaimed with delight, bending down to allow the feline to nuzzle her cheek affectionately. "Huh, what's this?" Blinking with surprise, Zoey caught sight of the black choker with the pink bow that was dangling from the cat's spiraled tail as it flicked in the air.

"Mrrrowwwrrr~"

"Oh, it's the choker we saw on the dressing room floor. I guess it must be somebody else's – they must have lost it. Let's go see if we can find them." Standing up again, the redhead beckoned to her Pokemon as they made their way into the building. All of a sudden, the sound of voices filled their ears as if they'd been deaf before and suddenly been granted enhanced hearing – such was the contrast between the peaceful outdoors and the hustle of pre-Contest chaos inside.

Weaving and dodging her way through a small crowd of huddled girls, the young coordinator let her eyes scan over the tops of the heads in an attempt to locate someone who would be wearing anything that would match. Definitely not that gothic-dressed person there with the Duskull, or the flamboyantly scarlet-clad woman there with her Gligar. Hmmm… Oh, wait, that girl over there! Dressed in a pink and white dress with bows and the dark navy hair… her outfit looked perfect for a choker of this color. "Glameow, look over – huh?" When the redhead peered down at her side, the lavender cat was nowhere to be seen. Well, where had she gone off to now? Blinking, Zoey began to make her way with some difficulty through the crowd with the thought that Glameow probably had already gone to approach the girl and return the choker. Her suspicions were confirmed when she saw the docile feline extending her curled tail to the blue-haired girl, offering to return her choker.

"Ah, there you are," Zoey's expression relaxed as she approached her wayward Pokemon, one hand resting on her hip. Her maroon eyes glanced up at the girl in front of her just as she spoke, getting up from her kneeling position on the ground to address Zoey.

"Huh?" she inquired innocently, those dark blue eyes large and pure. "Are you the one who found this?"

A good-natured chuckle escaped Zoey's lips as her Glameow turned and leaped up into her arms with a cheerful meow. "It was on the floor in the dressing room," she replied with a smile, her expression one of gentle fondness as she gazed at her Glameow, who was curled up in her arms and affectionately nuzzling her chin.

"But how did you know it was Dawn's?" another, deeper voice chimed in, and both Zoey and her Glameow turned their attention back to the small group before them. The speaker had been an older boy with spiked brown hair, and standing next to him was a younger-looking male with a red and white cap on his head and a Pikachu on his shoulder. Beside _him_ stood the girl who had been missing her choker – so Dawn was her name, huh? _Pretty name… _Zoey found herself thinking with a small smile.

"Matching that with the owner was a breeze," she replied with a confident (though not haughty) tone, "she's the only girl in this whole complex who's actually wearing something that would go with it."

"I am? Thank you!" Dawn chirruped brightly, and Zoey couldn't keep a smile from her face even though the girl swiftly turned around to face the person on the screen who was undoubtedly her mother. The two boys turned along with her, and now that she was not needed anymore, Zoey took the opportunity to quickly make her silent exit, the sound of Dawn's voice in her ears as it slowly drew into the distance. "See? I've got the choker now so you don't have to worry about a thing…!"

The Glameow now safely nestled in her arms and quite cozy, Zoey made her way back through the crowd, a calm glimmer in her eyes that betrayed nothing of what she was thinking inside. A small, child-like voice broke through the barrier of her mind, and she glanced down at the small girl who was rushing up to her. "Is that really you, Zoey? The coordinator?"

The redhead blinked a couple times in confusion and shock – was she known already? "Yes, that's me," she replied, a smile making its way onto her face. "How-?"

"I've seen you in all sorts of Contests before, and you even won a ribbon!" the girl chirruped brightly, evidently excited to meet a 'famous' coordinator. "Wow, you're really awesome. The way your Pokemon appeal – I'm a huge fan!"

Despite herself, Zoey felt a blush of embarrassment creep over her pale cheeks. She had only been in three Contests before and had only one ribbon – she already had a fan? Wow… this was flattering. "U-Um… gee, thanks, I-"

"Can I have your autograph!?"

"… Sure, why not?"

---

Much later that night, Zoey found herself unable to sleep, which was odd. It wasn't from nervousness – her thoughts weren't crowded with appeals, spotlights, and screaming crowds… she didn't know what was keeping her up, but no matter how she closed her eyes and tried to get to sleep, she simply couldn't. At last the redhead kicked off the covers and shifted to a sitting position on the side of her bed, a pensive frown on her face. The little girl… she had never imagined she'd be well-known already. And the girl from earlier… Dawn, with the choker. Zoey would have never guessed she'd still be on her mind. Dawn was just another coordinator, one that had simply misplaced her choker. No big deal. Under normal circumstances, she would've forgotten about it moments afterward.

So what made this circumstance abnormal?

With a sigh, she eased herself off the bed and slid into the pale red slippers at the foot of her bed before casting her gaze around the room. It was a simple place, clearly not intended to be used for anything other than an overnight housing. Bunk beds were stacked on top of one another, and a small desk was crammed into the corner, completely spotless. There was nothing else – no carpeting, nothing. She'd been lucky to even get one of the rooms with a desk. Not that she used it.

"Meowr?"

The inquisitive sound of her Glameow pulled Zoey once more from her trance as she looked down at the small cat with a smile. "Nah, I'm okay. I just can't sleep – I'll be back soon." Bending down, she gave the feline an affectionate scratch beneath the chin, which earned her a fond purr, and then stepped outside. Unbeknownst to the redhead, several floors away and down, Dawn herself was also out on the balcony, though the other girl's thoughts were of the Contest the next day.

Zoey's, on the other hand…

_What is this feeling…? _She asked herself as she folded her arms and rested them on the steel railing of the balcony, letting her maroon gaze slide over the glittering buildings of Jubilife City's nightlife before her. The glowing embers reflected in Zoey's dark eyes as she stood there, a gentle neutral expression on her face. _Why can't I stop thinking about her… that girl…? _A passing breeze floated through her ruffled flame-colored hair, a gentle lonesome howl passing with the wind as it moved on. _Just who is she…? Dawn… _She had never been so keen to pay attention to any of her opponents ever before… what was it that made this one girl so special…? A frown curved the corners of her mouth, and she sighed. Why did she care? She was just another opponent to defeat in the rounds. An acquaintance, maybe, but that had never stopped Zoey from doing her best and winning before.

_Hm… I guess it doesn't really matter. _

---

Sunlight beamed brilliantly down on the bustling streets of early morning Jubilife City. People scrambled about for last minute tickets to see the Contest, and the atmosphere was as jolly and anticipation-strung as it could get. The roar of crowds inside the stadium was uncanny with people cheering and rooting for their favorite coordinators. Spotlights flashed down dramatically on the darkened center stage, illuminating the slender figure of the curly-haired announcer.

"Greetings, and a warm welcome to coordinators and Contest fans of all ages!" she called out to the madly-cheering crowd. Raising an arm, she extended it to the side dramatically as she continued, "We've all come together for a very special reason, and that's to find out who will take home the coveted and fabulous Jubilife Contest ribbon!" As the cheering of the crowd increased even more, she smiled and continued as more spotlights began beaming down on the semi-circular stage, illuminating the entire arena. "Now I know you've all been waiting patiently, and now's your time to be rewarded!" At this time, the entire dome had been completely illuminated as the large circle-shaped sunroof was slid open, revealing the cloudless sky and the bright sunlight. "We are coming at you live and on stage from the stadium located in Jubilife City, the city of joy!" The roar of the crowd was deafening as twin spouts of flame shot up from the corners of the stage, completing the awe-inspiring introduction.

Backstage, Zoey stood from her chair in front of the dressing room counter, giving herself a glance in the mirror to check her appearance before smiling satisfactorily. This would be the first time she wore this outfit, and she had to admit, it didn't look half bad on her. As a rule, Zoey much preferred suits over the fancy dresses that most female coordinators were partial to. It made her look more professional… more sophisticated, and in all honesty, she couldn't imagine herself in a dress. As it was, this new outfit didn't look as bad as she thought it would.

Her attire somewhat resembled a ship captain's uniform - the top of her suit was a collared shirt made of the purest silk, mostly white except for a couple sprigs of what seemed to be like yellow plants on the front. The long sleeves ended in cuffs with black and golden rings that resembled those of a sailor's outfit. Whereas the suit ended in a cut off in the front, it extended in the back to form a tail that wrapped around her legs and fanned out behind her. Beneath that, she wore pale aquamarine-colored pants with vertical thin stripes and white dress shoes to complete the look. Her normally slightly-ruffled red hair was smoothed out and done in the perfect combination of messiness and organization. She looked truly stunning and professional, perfect for this competition.

As she clipped the pokeballs to her belt and began packing the rest of the accessories she'd brought along with her, Zoey caught the sound of someone else in the dressing room along with her. Glameow's pokeball in her hand, she turned and saw no one other than Dawn seated in a chair near the other side of the room, head bowed as she attempted furiously to fix her hair. A sympathetic smile curved the redhead's lips as she made her way over – she was going first on stage, but it wouldn't hurt to help out someone a little bit more. Especially since this girl had been occupying her mind since yesterday.

"Ohh, I'm supposed to be all ready to go, and I can't even get my hair right… nuts." As Zoey drew closer to the younger girl, she heard her muttering to herself dejectedly, trying in vain to get her ponytail in place. A smile on her face, Zoey stopped behind her.

"Let me help," she offered, and Dawn brightened considerably as Zoey began to brush out her hair once more and bind it together, letting her fingers slide through it. She didn't respond as Dawn thanked her gratefully and sat back, allowing the redhead to fiddle with her hair. Zoey never would've guessed it'd be this silky from just seeing it, and Zoey couldn't resist letting her hand trail uselessly through the navy-colored locks a couple times while she was tying it together, hoping Dawn wouldn't decode the small smile on her face as something other than just friendship.

"I didn't introduce myself the other day after you helped me out," the blue-haired girl said with a cheery smile as Zoey continued to work with her hair, "my name's Dawn."

"I'm Zoey," the redhead responded, the smile never leaving her face as she once more let her fingers trail through Dawn's hair pointlessly before giving the elastic band a wrap around the ponytail and tugging it tighter. Eager to keep up conversation to distract her mind from potential reasons as to why this Dawn would be anything other than a friend to her, Zoey added quickly, "so, is this your first Contest?"

"How'd you know?"

Zoey chuckled slightly and grinned, peering at the girl over her shoulder, "you've got that first-time vibe."

"Oh, lovely…" Dawn said with a sigh as Zoey went back to working on her hair. "So, have you been in Contests before, Zoey?"

Something about the way she said her name made Zoey's heart flutter slightly, although she ignored it for the time being as her smile was replaced with a confident half-smirk. "Sure have."

Dawn glanced at the girl behind her with an impressed glimmer in her eyes. "Wow, have you won any ribbons yet?"

Zoey smiled, and her tone was a little haughty as she spoke once more. "Three Contests, one ribbon." Biting her bottom lip slightly, she picked up the clip and fastened it skillfully into the younger girl's hair.

"Awesome!" Dawn's voice was almost awe-like as she gasped, "Can I see it?"

"Sure," Zoey replied good-naturedly, holding onto the half-finished ponytail with one hand as she dug her Ribbon Case from her pocket with the other. "Here." The case was slightly scratched up from some bad encounters with woodland travel, but otherwise it was pristine and shimmered golden.

Dawn clicked it open and Zoey beamed privately at the awed gasp that escaped from the girl's lips. "Oh, it's just adorable," she said with longing in her voice, staring at the pink and white-striped ribbon nestled in the center of the padded case.

Choosing to say nothing to that, Zoey stepped back and smiled, letting her hands fall to her side despite the urge to reach up and give the girl's silky hair one last touch. "All set Dawn, what d'you think?" It was amazing how she managed to keep her voice confident and steady despite the strange acceleration of her heart in the presence of this young girl. Dawn stood, admiring the way Zoey had done her hair in the mirror with a smile.

Clutching the golden Ribbon Case to her chest with both hands, Dawn gasped with delight. "Wow, it's great!" she turned to face Zoey with a grateful glimmer in her eyes. "Thank you!" Dawn handed Zoey back her case, which the red head smoothly accepted. She flinched for just a moment as their skin brushed just slightly, and she hoped Dawn hadn't seen the falter. It seemed the younger girl had missed it though, as she clenched her fists together in front of her, eagerness in her eyes and a determined smile on her face. "Now, it's my turn to win."

Zoey smiled slightly, her calm maroon gaze contrasting with the flame that lit Dawn's expression as she locked eyes with the younger coordinator. "Yeah," she countered skillfully, her tone betraying neither support nor doubt.

"Yup, I'm sure of it!" Dawn continued confidently, and Zoey smiled, impressed and amused by the other girl's enthusiasm.

"Well then, I'll see you in the finals," she replied, a gentle laugh escaping her lips, "Haha, break a leg~" With that, she turned on her heels and headed out the door, hearing the cheering of the crowds that signaled she was going on stage soon. Tucking the case in her pocket once more, Zoey (with some difficulty) pushed the thoughts of the younger girl from her mind as she rested a hand on the pokeball at her waist. This was her chance to shine.

As Zoey strode down the hallways toward the entrance to the backstage, she smiled slightly as the sound of the announcer's voice echoed through the walls. She talked about the three judges that always were present for judging at every Contest, and about the ribbon. Zoey had seen the Jubilife Ribbon only once before, and she knew she had to win it. Pristine with blue and white striped design – it would be hers before day's end, she was sure.

"Now, it's time for the first round, where one by one our Pokemon take their positions on the performance stage!" the announcer's voice got louder as Zoey approached the backstage door, ready to get this show started. "The purpose of this round is to see how our coordinators make their Pokemon shine, showing off power and beauty~" Clicking open the door, Zoey silently stepped onto the stage, hidden behind the floor-scraping curtain as she awaited her signal. It wouldn't be long now. A hand clipped her Pokemon's ball from her waist as she stood, the seconds ticking down.

"And now, for our first contestant – Zoey!"

That was her cue. As the curtain parted swiftly and the announcer stepped aside to continue her report from the sidelines of the stage, Zoey stepped forward, head raised high as she drew her arm back and tossed the pokeball high into the air. "Misdreavus, curtain!"

As the pokeball opened, the seal on the front caused a large cloud of smoke to appear as the ghost pokemon danced within its hidden shade, only the outline of its small form visible against the lavender-colored gas. Perfect for a ghost type to appear mysterious and daunting. "Now, Double Team!" In a wonderful maneuver, the pokemon split into five separate identical parts, and then whirled together in a distorted fashion to become one once more, beauty and ambiguity heightened by its performance behind the sheet of smoke.

"That smoky silhouette really shows the mischievous element of Misdreavus!" the announcer called out with admiration as the crowd emitted gasps of amazement and wonder.

"Confuse Ray!" In a practiced skill of grace and ghostly mysteriousness, a violet ball focused in the center of the smoke before firing out similarly colored rays, dispersing the cloud completely in a beautiful spiral as four separate Misdreavus clones from the Double Team soared out over the audience, surrounded by a glowing orb from the Confuse Ray, streams of the purple cloud drifting from them as they floated out over people's heads and then vanished completely. In the center of the stage hovered the true Misdreavus, the amulet in the center of its body glowing with the power of the Confuse Ray as the smoke entirely wisped away.

"Use Shock Wave!"

The ghost Pokemon was illuminated by the bright golden ball that formed around it as powerful electric sonic booms fired in rapid succession throughout the stadium, to the awe of the audience. The ground practically shook with the force of the shock wave as it blasted outward. When the attack finished at last, the electric shock waves dispersed into glittering shimmers of static that drifted over the heads of the viewers like tiny diamonds. Immediately the crowd erupted into a frenzied cheer as Zoey raised one arm dramatically, the other down at her side as Misdreavus elegantly came to a landing on the tips of her fingers. A triumphant grin parted the redhead's lips. A perfect performance.

"It's like Misdreavus and Zoey are joined at the hip!" the announcer exclaimed in wonder, "electrifying!" Zoey smiled and did a small bow before turning and exiting the stage, the crowd still cheering out there as the judges gave their opinions.

Returning Misdreavus to its pokeball, Zoey smiled, "Great job Misdreavus." Starting down the hallway to the main lobby to watch the rest of the performance, she clipped the pokeball back onto her hip, satisfied with her own show. No doubt she'd make it into the second round with that.

Slipping through the crowd of people in the lobby to get a better view of the television screen, Zoey caught sight of the familiar faces up ahead. There stood Dawn and her two friends, and at the sight of her, Zoey couldn't help but wonder what the younger girl had thought of her performance. She was well aware that she had been Dawn's first show in this competition, and despite herself, Zoey found herself hoping Misdreavus' act had been awe-inspiring enough for the first-time coordinator. A smile rested on her lips as she tilted her head to watch the rest of the appeal round, noting each coordinator and his or her Pokemon. There was an impressive variety of Pokemon this year, from the Rapidash, to the Beautifly, a Scyther, a Buizel, and a Bidoof. There was some peculiar lady with a Carnivine. At that show, Zoey raised an eyebrow. Pokemon weren't supposed to attack their trainers… but then, maybe it was just part of the performance. _Eh, to each their own, I guess. _

The coordinator after that, Zoey recognized, and her expression brightened. It was Dawn's friend, the boy with the pokemon baseball hat. She watched his performance closely with his Aipom and their powerful combination of attacks. Not bad… not bad at all. The way he combined his Double Team and Focus Punch was interesting – if she ended up going against him in the competition round, she'd have to think of something good. He looked like he had some experience doing this.

She turned to see the call-man peering through the crowd at Dawn and her other friend standing up ahead. "Ready Dawn, you're up next!" Zoey returned her gaze to the girl as she spoke with the older boy standing beside her and the Pikachu that was with him. A smile curved Zoey's lips as she crossed her arms. She couldn't wait to see how Dawn performed. As Dawn ran past her to get to the backstage hallway door, Zoey turned to her.  
"Good luck," she said smoothly, a calm but quietly encouraging smile lingering on her face. The blue-haired girl stopped abruptly and turned to face her new friend with a pleasantly surprised expression.

"Huh? … Thanks Zoey!"

Arms folded as she intently fixed her maroon eyes on the screen, Zoey's expression molded into a watchful frown as she watched Dawn step out on stage after the greeting from the announcer. She bit her lips slightly as she watched Dawn's surprised expression. She looked nervous… too nervous for her own good. _Come on Dawn… _she silently urged, _you can do it. Don't think about the crowd. _She wasn't quite sure what made her like this girl so much, but Zoey knew she didn't want to see this new coordinator fail the appeal round. Memories of her sheer confidence from moments before flashed through her mind – Dawn needed that confidence _now_, in the face of all those people.

And then Dawn's expression transformed into a self-assured smirk, and Zoey relaxed a bit, nodding to herself and watching closely as Dawn brought out her Pokemon: a Piplup. An impressed glimmer widened her eyes as Zoey watched the younger girl's performance – it was very good for a first-time coordinator. The use of Bubblebeam intertwined with the bubbles that emerged from the Piplup's pokeball for a perfectly timed whirlpool of bubbles, and then it used a formidable-looking Peck attack to pop the bubbles with nearly unseeable speed. It was clear that Dawn had every right to be confident – she'd been training.

Zoey watched as the girl walked off stage and then moments later emerged from the doorway to the halls, heading over to her friends and conversing with them for a few moments before sinking to the ground with a sigh. Zoey's eyes widened and she made her way over, seeing that Dawn was still a little jittery from the episode – it was understandable. This was her first Contest, after all. Standing beside Dawn, she offered a hand to the girl, a smile on her face.

"I guess I'm just relieved it's finally over…" Zoey heard Dawn say with a nervous laugh to the two boys who stood before her. When she approached, Dawn looked up, her mouth fashioned into a cutely surprised 'o' shape. "Huh? Hi Zoey," she greeted, blinking up at the redhead. As she accepted the hand, Zoey couldn't help but keep a small blush from rushing through her cheeks at the contact. However, she managed to keep her voice and actions steady as ever as she hefted the girl up with a light huff of exertion.

"It's too soon to be relieved, isn't it?" she asked with a small smile.

"Huh?"

Raising her head slightly, Zoey allowed a small smirk to grace her lips. "We still gotta meet in the finals, right?"

Raising one hand to shyly tuck beneath her chin, Dawn giggled slightly, a blush spreading across her cheeks which surprised Zoey slightly, although she said nothing. "Hehe, oh yeah you're right."

Zoey ignored the inquiring tones from the two boys behind them who were clearly oblivious to the conversation that she'd had with Dawn earlier in the dressing room. As she kept her level gaze locked on Dawn's dark azure eyes, Zoey couldn't help but smile slightly, managing with great difficulty to keep the blush from her face. Where was all this emotion coming from? Why did she have this urge to just be near Dawn whenever she could be? The two girls shared a second of wordless acknowledgement before the announcer's voice over the TV jolted them both from their reveries.

"And now it's time for the judges' results!" she called out over the microphone, and Zoey turned her attention back to the screen, lifting one hand to rest on her hip casually as Dawn turned as well, clearly hoping to have made it to the next round. "So here are the coordinators who will be moving on down the line to the next round!" With a dramatic lift of her microphone, the announcer gestured to the panel above her that would indicate the eight people who would be moving on…

---

FIN


	2. Chapter 2

Haha, it's Mimi again.

At last, my much-belated second (and final) chapter of this fic is done. xD Sorry for the wait, for those of you who've been waiting. X3 I'm a lazy bum.

This chapter was exceptionally fun to write, and it's also much longer. 8D

Pokemon and the characters do not belong to me, and neither does a lot of the interaction in this piece of work. However, more of it does belong to me than in the last chapter. xDD I added a lot more improv in this one. C:

Hope you enjoy, and as always, R&R please! Thanks!

- Mimi

---

The announcer's enthusiastic voice was contagious as she spoke once the crowd had died down. "Alright, let's hear what the judges have to say! The eight contestants moving on to the next round's contest battles are…!" The camera slid up to the panel high above the announcer's head, and the panel shifted, depicting the pictures of the eight finalists that would be advancing forward. "… These lucky eight!"

Zoey craned her head forward almost unconsciously, and noticed that to her left, Dawn did the same, both pairs of eyes eagerly scanning the screen and… aha! There! A satisfied smile replaced the look of anticipation on the redhead's face as she caught sight of her herself on the panel board. _Naturally…_ she thought to herself with just a hint of smugness, reverting back to her usual casual posture now that she knew she was moving forward.

Dawn to her left was another story. Clasping her hands together eagerly, the blue-haired girl barely suppressed a gasp of delight upon seeing her own picture up on the screen. "Alright! I made it!" she exclaimed, and the boy beside her was of a similar mindset.

"Awesome!" he chimed in, accompanied by equally joyous shouts from his Pikachu and Aipom. Zoey couldn't help but chuckle privately to herself. New coordinators were always like this – she remembered the first time she'd made it past the appeal round. Her eyes were still fixed on the screen as she analyzed their opponents, but she was tuned into the comments made by those around her.

"Nothing like getting past that first step," the other boy remarked with a smile. Zoey's attention was drawn to Dawn beside her as the girl let out a sigh that revealed all the pent-up anxiety about the Contest she'd been holding in behind that forefront of confidence.

"… What a relief," she said, a small smile playing on her lips.

Shifting her maroon eyes from the TV screen to the girl beside her, Zoey found herself mirroring that smile with one of her own – again with the uncanny heart fluttering! But she ignored it, and simply replied, "Congrats."

"Thanks Zoey!" Dawn replied in a chipper voice that made the former's heart flutter unexpectedly. Dawn let her arms fall, though her hands were still clasped together nervously, the expression on her face one of amicable envy. "But you made it all look so easy… I can see why you already have a ribbon."

A small smirk turned up the corner of the redhead's mouth as she tilted her head down and away, sufficiently concealing the blush on her cheeks, "Well, I don't know about that…"

Any further conversation was interrupted as Dawn perked up, realization dawning on her face. "Oh! Oh no!'" In time with everyone else, Zoey lifted her head curiously, but any questions weren't given time to be asked as Dawn continued. "I've got to call my mom right now!"

Leaving Dawn to contact home, Zoey turned from the hallway and decided to take a couple minutes' relaxation outdoors before the battle rounds' match-ups were posted. Like the previous day, the weather was amazingly beautiful – accompanied with the fact that it hardly rained here in Jubilife City, today was simply perfect weather for a Contest. Zoey found herself seated in the shade of an overhanging tree not far from the Contest Hall, the branches casting a shadow that guarded her from the sun's relentless rays.

Unclipping a pokeball from her waist, Zoey pressed the button in the center, and in a flash of crimson light, her prized cat Pokemon emerged, seated docilely on the ground in front of her. "Meowrr~" it purred with a small smile settled on its feline features, its spiral tail curled elegantly. At the sight of its finely groomed and glossy fur, Zoey couldn't help but smile – no matter what sort of strange feelings had been conjured up in this brief twenty-four hours since she'd met Dawn, she couldn't lose sight of what she was here for.

"We're going to win that Jubilife Ribbon, right Glameow?" she said softly, voice quiet but confident as she reached out a hand to stroke the feline's down-like fur. The Pokemon replied by purring and nuzzling up against its trainer's hand, and Zoey smiled, feeling more at ease with something to distract her from thoughts of the new coordinator.

Still, the girl's bright face appeared in her mind's eye persistently no matter how hard she tried to push it away. Everything from the pure pale complexion, the bright and expressive azure eyes, to the ever-present smile was captured like a photo in the redhead's mind, and she leaned her head back against the trunk of the tree, allowing a heavy sigh to slip from her lips as she slid her gaze up to the leaves in the branches overhead.

_Why do I feel this way…? _She began by asking herself, a frown curving the corners of her mouth in a pensive expression. _Dawn's just a friend… just a fellow coordinator and rival. Nothing more… right? _She couldn't understand how she suddenly just felt so strongly attached to the girl. It had been a simple, innocent meeting – Dawn had lost her choker and Zoey (well, more like her Glameow) had returned it. Okay, so the girl was friendly. Zoey had done that for other people tons of times before at other Contests – what was different this time? Different enough to make her hang out with Dawn nearly all the time instead of going about her own business like she usually did. It was baffling, to say the least. At first glance, she didn't look or act any different than your average first-time coordinator…

So the question remained: what was causing this strange stir of emotion?

Sensing her trainer's distress, the Glameow purred curiously and leapt into the redhead's lap, rubbing the top of her crescent-shaped head against Zoey's chin in an attempt to comfort her. Instantly she was snapped out of her thoughts, and grinned as she reached up a hand to pet the feline. "Yeah, you're right Glameow," she murmured, "thanks – there's nothing to worry about. Maybe I'm just imagining it."

Or was she? At that exact moment, it was as if her thoughts had summoned the presence of the aforementioned blue-haired girl. Usually never frightened by anything, the redhead nearly jumped at Dawn's chipper voice as it rang out close by – as in, right behind her. "Hey Zoey!" she called out, and the elder coordinator whipped her head around, fighting hard to suppress the blush at seeing Dawn standing right there without warning.

"… Oh, hey Dawn. What's up?" She tried her best to sound as casual as possible. The grey cat in her lap was regarding the younger girl with a placid look as her tail swishing back and forth methodically.

Either Dawn didn't notice the break in her voice, or she was purposefully ignoring it, because she simply smiled that shining smile and replied happily, "I just came to find you! They're going to show the battling combinations soon, and I didn't think you'd want to miss it!"

Hearing this, the redhead stood, a smile curving her lips. "Alright, let's go then."

"I really hope I get to battle you sometime!" Dawn added excitedly, clasping her hands together and leaning forward, eagerness glimmering in the depths of her azure eyes.

After a brief pause of surprise, Zoey huffed slightly, allowing one hand to subconsciously rest on her hip as she smirked. "Well, we'll see what ends up happening. Come on, let's go in." She started toward the Contest building, and, nodding, Dawn followed swiftly after.

"Alright ladies and gentlemen, time for our second round!" Just as the two coordinators entered the lobby and had wormed their way to stand just below the TV beside Dawn's two friends, the announcer's voice came over the loudspeaker clearly. Redirecting her attention from Dawn, Zoey drew her maroon gaze to the screen, waiting intently for the results of the shuffle.

""And here's the battle board! So, let's give our board a random shuffle and see the match up~" The camera shifted upwards and zoomed into the screen hanging above the stage. It was as if everyone in the lobby collectively held their breath and leaned forward to see the outcome. The eight cards were flipped over and randomly split apart, and then flipped back to the front to reveal…

_Nuts. Dawn and I aren't going against each other. _Zoey frowned visibly, but since everyone else's attention was also on the TV screen, no one noticed. The beginnings of murmurings started around her as people saw who they were paired up with, and Zoey turned to face the boy with the Pikachu beside Dawn – she'd figured out a while back that his name was Ash.

"Well, what d'ya know?" he said with an eager smile, "me and Zoey."

"Pika Pika!" Looked like his resident Pikachu was pretty excited about this whole thing too. Zoey kept a hand on her hip as she maintained her sidelong glance at her new opponent, a small smile on her countenance as Dawn spoke.

"I'm sure you'll do just great!" she exclaimed, and Ash thanked her for the encouragement. In their excitement, no one noticed the brief flash of something across the redhead's eyes. Was it jealousy? It was gone so quickly that it was almost as if it had never been there.

"Alright, time to start a winning streak," Ash spoke mostly to himself, a faraway look in his eyes, "first the Jubilife Ribbon and then we'll get the Oreburgh badge!" There was another agreeing cry from the electric mouse on his shoulder, but it went unnoticed by the redhead as her smile turned into a frown, a wary look entering her eyes. _The Oreburgh badge…? He's competing in the Sinnoh League!_

"Ash, slow down," Dawn's soft voice interrupted his triumphant speech, "an appeal battle is different from a gym battle."

Ash smiled, still clearly lost in his fantasy. "Hey, we can handle any battle you throw at us." Narrowing her eyes, Zoey approached him, but before she could speak, Ash turned to face her. "Zoey, I'll see ya out there!"

He made as if to walk away, but she stepped in front of him, intercepting his path, to his surprise. "Hold on!" she called, causing both Dawn and the taller boy Brock to look at her curiously. "Are you saying you're going to compete in the Sinnoh League?"

The confused look was replaced with excitement yet again as Ash nodded. "Yeah! That's what I came here for in the first place!"

This only caused the redhead to grow even more displeased as she eyed him disapprovingly. Once more she raised a hand to rest on her hip in a haughty manner, "Well, then what are you doing competing in Contests for?"

By now, it was clear that the three were baffled as to why she was suddenly so hostile. Letting out a huff, she raised an eyebrow skeptically. "You _obviously_ don't know the difference between Contests and Gyms." Closing her eyes, she tilted her head in an arrogant manner. "Hm. I'd remember that if I were you."

Yes, Zoey had been rather offensive and holier-than-thou in her criticism, but above all else, she had no respect for people who participated in both Contests and Gym Battles, writing them off as indecisive. It didn't matter that this 'Ash' was Dawn's close friend – she wasn't going to let some double-siding boy defeat her in the first round. _I'll show him just what appeal battling is about,_ she thought to herself as she turned and haughtily walked off without another word to any of them. She and Ash were up on the stage first, but she had yet fifteen minutes or so of intermission before she had to get ready, and she took advantage of that time to call a friend through the phone screens in the hall.

"Remember a long time ago how you and I promised we'd take our separate paths without ever looking back? You wanted to be the gym leader of Snowpoint, and I wanted to be a top coordinator." The redhead was still ticked off by the earlier scene with Ash, as shown by her brusque demeanor and the way her arms were stiffly crossed over her chest.

From the other side of the screen, a girl dressed in white and blue was staring back at her with a blank expression. She was obviously using the phone screen in the Pokemon Center in the town she was currently in, judging from the background and the amount of noise coming from her side. She scratched her head and let out a confused hum. "Uhhh… good to hear from you too Zoey. Why the random message all of a sudden?"

"I'm going up against a boy who does gym battles _and_ Contests." It was clear that the redhead took this as a rather huge deal, but she still maintained her aloof-sounding tone of obvious disapproval. "He shouldn't be here if he's taking on the Sinnoh League."

"Um… okay. This is important to me cause…?"

The redhead's eye twitched – why was she friends with such an airhead? _Because you were childhood close acquaintances, Zoey, _a voice inside her head reminded her. "Because, Candice, he should be choosing one or the other, not both!" Angrily she placed her hands on the desk in front of the screen, leaning forward.

On the other side of the screen, the girl named Candice leaned back, holding up her hands placatingly. "Okay, okay, sheesh. Look on the bright side – I'll be getting a challenger eventually then~ Is he any good?"

Annoyed by her friend's complete disregard for the topic at hand, Zoey leaned back again and resumed her usual pose, letting out an irritated sigh. "Never-mind, Candice. My match is about to come on, I'll see you later."

"Okay then. COME BACK AND VISIT SNOWPOINT SOON AGAIN, DAMNIT!" the over-active Snowpoint gym leader yelled at the screen, causing Zoey (and a few people on Candice's side of the phone screen) to flinch and cover their ears.

"Ehhh… okay, fine. I'll come back soon."

Instantly the girl's expression brightened with a smile. "Okay then Zoey, buh-bye!" Before anything more could be said, the phone line clicked dead and the screen went blank. The redhead sighed as she headed towards backstage, sweatdropping. Why was she friends with such crazy people…?

A flourish of the arm was followed by the avid cheering of the crowd as people once more assembled in their bleacher seats. "This is it, the moment you've all been waiting for!" The announcer was once more back on stage and under the spotlight. "Get ready for the second round battle! The coordinator who can show off the most beautiful moves and take away the most points from their opponent in five minutes, wins!"

Up on the scoreboard, the photos of Ash and Zoey, the first two contestants, flashed on screen. Below their pictures were the timer, started at five minutes and counting down, and the point-counter. Each contestant was currently at full points, and they would be deducted as the battle went on.

"So let's get started with our first match up!" the announcer exclaimed through her microphone to the captivating audience. "It's Ash in one corner… and Zoey in the other!"

The redhead stood with that same frown on her face as she faced her opponent. The two looked completely different. On one hand, Ash was raring to go, fists clenched with anticipation, the light of the battle glimmering in his eyes. Opposite him was Zoey, one hand, as always, resting on her hip as she stood, giving the boy across from her a narrowed look. She stood tall and confident, Ash eager and anxious. The announcer's voice rang out once more, "We're starting with five minutes on the clock, and… begin!"

Ash was the first to move by pulling out a Pokeball. "Alright! Aipom, I choose you!" In a flash of multi-colored stars, the purple monkey-like Pokemon emerged from its capsule, leaping through the air and then doing a flip before landing on the stage.

Zoey's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. _Using the same Pokemon for appeals and battles… let's see how he handles this. _"Alright Glameow, curtain!" She pulled her arm back and let the Pokeball fly, and in a practiced show of red diamonds, the elegant feline appeared, spinning in the air before landing perfectly with grace on the center stage, head and tail raised confidently as the shimmering diamonds glittered around it.

"Meowrrr~"

The timer was already a good twenty seconds down, and Ash wasted no time in getting the first move in. "Alright Aipom, go get 'em!" Zoey watched with calm satisfaction as the monkey rushed towards them on its feet, toothy grin fixed in a concentrated frown. _Hm. He's brave. I'll give him that. But bravery isn't gonna win him through this. This isn't a gym battle. _"Stay, Glameow." She couldn't resist letting a smirk cross her face as the feline calmly sat on the ground, eyes glittering as it watched the approaching Aipom.

"Wanna lay back, that's fine with me. Aipom, use Focus Punch!"

_Focus Punch? _A powerful attack, for sure, but nothing she couldn't handle. Ash had no taste of what was coming to him yet. Zoey watched, hand on her hip, as the monkey leaped into the air and flipped, tail glowing as it quickly descended from an aerial standpoint for a potentially devastating attack.

The timing had to be exactly right, and… "Glameow, grab hold of Aipom!" In one smooth maneuver, the cat rose to all fours and spun on one forepaw, winding its tail around the Aipom's glowing appendage, causing the Focus Punch to shimmer away without momentum to guide its path.

"Surprise, surprise!" the announcer exclaimed, followed by awed gasps from the crowd. "With one flick of the tail, Glameow's stopped the Focus Punch cold!"

"Hm." Zoey smiled at the astonished expression on Ash's face. It was mistakes like these that showed he just wasn't cut out for Contest battling. "Nice work Glameow, now give Aipom a toss!" It was clear the feline had been trained for fancy maneuvers like this as it rapidly spun around and around on its forepaws, finally flinging the monkey into the air with a deft flick of the tail.

But maybe she'd underestimated the skill he'd gained from gym battles.

"Aipom, snap out of it and use Swift!" The monkey shook its head and unleashed a Swift attack from its tail while still soaring through the air, hitting the Glameow dead on.

"Ah, Glameow!" For the first time, the redhead's confident face faltered as she watched the glowing stars shower down upon her Glameow and the points on the scoreboard dip lower than Ash's. As she thought of a way to quickly counter-attack, she disregarded the announcer's excited tone. _This isn't over yet. I'm not about to lose to someone like him. _

"Glameow, Fury Swipes, let's go!" She watched with an anxious expression as the grey feline leapt back into the fray, claws glowing as it approached the other Pokemon.

"Aipom, Double Team!" In an infuriatingly skilled tactic, the Aipom split into multiple counterparts to avoid being hit, and Glameow was forced to stop, glancing to and fro at the different clones with frustration. The different clones fused back into the real Aipom right behind the feline, and then Ash called for another Swift attack, whereupon the Pokemon jumped into the air once more and fired again.

_Big mistake. _"Glameow, dodge and use Fury Swipes!" She watched with tingling nervousness as the feline nimbly jumped through the Swift attack and began wildly slashing at the glowing stars, deflecting them and sending them right back to its opponent.

"Glameow looks great!" the announcer called out enthusiastically, "using an opponent's attack for a counterattack serves for great appeal!" The Glameow flipped and landed beautifully in front of its trainer as the Aipom fell to the ground, injured by its own move. The points on Ash's side of the board dropped a good amount, enough to put Zoey in the lead once more.

"Aipom, don't give up, Focus Punch!"

_That same old trick again… let's see how he likes this. _"Glameow, Iron Tail, let's go!" This time, she was able to lean back and watch contently as both Pokemon swung at each other, the attacks slamming into one another simultaneously.

"Whoa, they hit at the same time…"

Zoey's tone was almost cocky as she replied, "Uh, not quite." A half-grin on her face, she called out, "Straighten your tail!" In a show that was rarely put on by the Glameow species, the feline elongated its spiral tail, striking the Aipom heavily and flinging it backwards to sprawl beside Ash once more. The Glameow's glowing tail shimmered away to reveal its full impressive length.

"Wow! Somehow Glameow managed to use Iron Tail while straightening its tail for a soul-raveling hit!" The announcer's praise was indeed well-received as the crowd cheered wildly, Glameow's tail winding back up once more as Zoey stood, once more the confident smile resting on her lips. Ash had lost a significant amount of points in that last round, and he only had a fourth of his marks left, whereas Zoey still had three times that much. Assured she could now rest easy, the redhead smirked – the rest of this match would be a cinch. He just wasn't good enough.

"Well, we've just passed the thirty second mark, and Zoey has a huge advantage!" the announcer beamed.

"Yeah, so?" Ash's voice rang through the stage with determination, causing the redhead to look up, surprised. He was still willing to go on? Anyone else would've just given up by now, with such a score gap between them. "Aipom, we can't just let them beat us like this!" Zoey watched with shock as the Aipom got back up yet again, and at Ash's order powered up another Focus Punch, no doubt his last desperate attack.

"Looks like Ash isn't about to give up yet," the announcer said, "and Aipom's set its sights on Glameow with another Focus Punch."

_Doesn't he ever learn…? _"Alright Glameow, now's our chance to use Shadow Claw." She watched as the feline bounded forward, the claws on its forepaw extending with a shadowy aura as it headed for the opponent. Shadow Claw – a Ghost type attack, and normally not effective at all against Normal-types like Aipom.

But don't you think Zoey would've known that?

The two attacks slammed into each other once more, but of course the Focus Punch was more powerful, and easily cut through the weaker Shadow Claw. "Jump, Glameow!" Leaning back on its tail for just a fleeting moment, the feline launched itself high into the air, soaring above the confused Aipom. "Iron Tail!" Zoey's voice rang with confidence as Glameow's long tail glowed with strength. It flipped, and smashed right into the Aipom, which staggered and went sent skidding backwards once more while Glameow made an effortless landing.

"And Glameow's Iron Tail is a clean hit!"

There were only ten seconds left on the clock and counting – Zoey was certain she'd win now. There were no more stunts Ash could pull in time to get back his points. The announcer said it all: "we're down to the wire now – has the end result been decided!?"

"Not if I can help it!"

"Huh?" _Still? He's still going?_

"Aipom, use Focus Punch! Max power!" The smug look on his face showed he wasn't about to give up yet, even though there was nothing more to say for himself. The Aipom got up and charged again.

"Talk about determined! This is a battle to the finish! Will Ash and Aipom somehow pull a miracle turn around!?"

Zoey must've looked like a total idiot. She was unable to do anything except stand there dumbly with her mouth open as the Aipom charged, the sheer power of its attack and the brimming perseverance in its eyes paralyzing to watch. Glameow was of a similar mindset, rooted to the spot nervously, simply just staring with terror at the oncoming attack.

DING.

The timer struck zero, and the Focus Punch shimmered away centimeters from Glameow's face. The two Pokemon stood like statues in front of each other, Aipom's tail still raised for the last hit, and Glameow's jaw still open with fright.

"And time's up!" the announcer's voice brought things back to earth, "that's the end, and the winner of this super high tension battle is, Zoey!" The panel switched to display Zoey and her Glameow as the victors, and the crowd went wild, but the redhead was still locked in her state of shock, eyes wide and disbelieving.

"Huh?" She was suddenly jolted from her reverie, and shakily turned to bow alongside her Glameow. It was over. It was really over. Yet, her heart was still racing. What had that last attack been…?

"You were great Aipom," Ash kneeled down beside the disappointed Pokemon, "thanks for being so awesome."

---

Where were they – Ash and the others? Hands on her hips, Zoey roamed the halls in search of the trio. At last she found them, Ash seated on a bench beside Aipom, who was munching on well-deserved food, and Brock and Dawn standing before him. At the sight of the blue-haired girl, a jolt went through the approaching redhead, but she concealed it as she stalked up to them, an indignant frown on her face, her narrowed stare directed at Ash.

"Hi Zoey," Dawn's gentle voice was the first to reach her ears, and then Ash's as he stood and extended a hand to shake Zoey's.

"Congratulations on your win," he said good-naturedly, "and good luck with the next round." His extended hand hung un-received for a while, and the looks of surprise crossed all three faces as they stood there, staring with troubled expressions at the stubborn redhead. Her gaze shifted from person to person and finally settled on Dawn, and at last, it was the latter's almost sad expression that finally cut through her haze of pride.

"… That last Focus Punch. It was so powerful… I froze in my tracks." Zoey's first words weren't really apologetic or anything, but they would have to do for her wounded dignity – a boy who competed in both gyms and Contests had done so well… and could've beaten her!

"Huh? Yeah!?" Ash smiled weakly, "I guess I was just… concentratin' so hard!"

When Zoey looked up again, a small smile curved the corners of her mouth. "If time hadn't run out when it did, I'm sure you would've beaten me!" At last she accepted the hand that had been offered to her, giving it a firm shake of acknowledgement. "Thanks for a great battle."

The redhead at last was able to fully relax when she saw Dawn brighten, smiling with relief that the whole ordeal had been forgiven and no one had been hurt. Hands still on her hips, Zoey re-focused a hard gaze onto the boy with the baseball cap. "Still, if you don't mind me saying, I don't think a Contest battle is where you shine."

"Yeah… I guess I had to try it, but I know you're right."

Was the guy always this easy-going and agreeable? Zoey almost found it hard to believe that he never seemed to argue back about anything. Her musings were cut short by Dawn's shining voice, and Zoey eagerly turned her attention to the blue-haired girl. "Hey! Get this! Ash entered the Contest because Aipom wanted to take a shot!"

"… Aipom?" Shifting her maroon eyes to the monkey scarfing food on the couch, a thoughtful glimmer entered her eyes. If Ash was used to gym battling, and Aipom liked to compete…

"That's the truth alright," Ash chimed in with agreement.

"Hm… I know what to do!" Zoey turned back to the trio with a bright expression. "Dawn, you raise Aipom!"

The confused and surprised looks were clear on all three of their faces.

For the next few hours, more Contest battles were staged. Zoey watched with a glowing pride, seated beside a cheering Ash and Brock in the stands, as Dawn won her first Contest battle with a Buneary, creaming the opponent clean for a clear victory. The queer lady with the Carnivine also staged a clear win against a boy with his Rhydon. The audience was wild, the crowds enthusiastic as the fireworks exploded, the announcer's voice boomed over the microphone, and the day wore on, the sun making its gradual way across the sky, its lazy ascension contrasting with the hustle and excitement far below.

At last, the moment was here. Zoey watched with a smile on her face as the scoreboard displayed the opponents for the semi-finals. She and Dawn were going up against each other. _Finally… let's see how she battles, first-hand. _

"It's time!" Dawn's chipper voice rang out beside her, and Zoey nodded.

"Yeah."

"I'm just so excited, I can hardly stand it!" Her tone was both enthusiastic and determined, and Zoey glanced over at her with a curious 'huh?', a rare blush making its way across her cheeks.

"Of course!" Dawn piped brightly, "don't you see this is the first time I get to battle a high level coordinator like you!?"

The blush only deepened, and Zoey glanced away slightly, her eyes closed as she attempted to conceal the not-so-surreptitious reddening of her cheeks. "O-Oh… that's sweet of you to say." _I hope that didn't sound too strange… _She returned her eyes to lock with Dawn's when she was sure she could suppress that odd fluttering that was re-surfacing in her heart. It was no easy task, mind you. "So! The last thing I want to do is let you down!"

"Great! I'll give it all I've got as well!"

_Good, she didn't take that as anything more than what friends would say…. Right? _

"Now we head into the first of the second round appeal battles," the announcer exclaimed to a still-cheering crowd as Zoey and Dawn stood in opposing sides of the field. "Our Contestants are Dawn battling against Zoey!"

Though the redhead still had one hand rested confidently against her waist, her demeanor was nothing like the one she'd had facing Ash hours before. A calm, almost excited and eager glimmer shone in her maroon eyes as she regarded her opponent in her pink and frilly dress (something Zoey wouldn't be caught _dead_ in) as a smile elegantly rested on her face, and this time it was still her opponent who held the determined expression.

"And with five minutes on the clock, are we ready? Then let's go!"

"Buneary, spotlight!" The rabbit-esque Pokemon emerged from its Pokeball with a shower of cherry blossom petals cascading around it. It let out an eager cry as it faced off against its potential opponent.

Zoey's eyes narrowed – she'd seen this Pokemon in action before, but then, Dawn had seen hers as well. _Forget about whatever I feel for her, this is a Contest battle, and there's no way I'm letting anything get in the way of me and that Ribbon!_ "Now, Glameow, curtain!" With a similar entrance as before, the feline landed on the ground with an elegantly twirl.

"Alright, Buneary, Ice Beam, go!"

It seemed that Zoey never made the first move, as she and Glameow watched the Buneary leap into the air and fire a powerful Ice Beam attack straight for her. "How huge, and powerful too! That's the name of the game!" Yes, that's right. The announcer again.

_It _is _powerful, I'll give her that. _"Glameow, use Shadow Claw!" Once more the cat launched itself towards the Ice Beam, its forepaw gleaming with the beginnings of a powerful Shadow Claw attack.

Surprise replaced the determination of the blue-haired girl. "But you know Buneary's a Normal type!"

"That's true," Zoey countered, confidence ringing in her tone as she crossed her arms, "but sometimes being indirect works. Like now." The Glameow sliced its claw right through the Ice Beam, splitting the attack so that it streamed around the feline's body, gleaming and glittering with beautiful shards of frozen splendor all around the cat, enhancing the ferocity of its attack while making it appear more dazzling to the audience.

"Awesome! Glameow's Shadow Claw just grabbed the Ice Beam! Not only that – the Shadow Claw's caught the blue light from the Ice Beam, creating a stunning contrast! It's a sight to behold!"

_That's right. That's how a top coordinator works. _Zoey smiled at the astonished expression on Dawn's face, and right then a spark of something ignited within her. _Don't you think maybe you're being a little too hard on her…? _Concern flashed momentarily through the redhead's eyes, but it was quickly wiped away. _What am I thinking? I'm here to win, not play favorites!_

The points on Dawn's side dwindled down a good amount from that show, but the blue-haired girl wasn't about to waver yet. "Alright, watch this. Buneary, use Bounce!" The announcer fawned over the cuteness of the move as the rabbit sprang into the air.

"Glameow, jump too!" The feline leaned back on its tail again and snapped upwards, soaring higher than even the Buneary's Bounce attack with just that one maneuver.

"And Glameow springs into action too! Wow, talk about a high jump! Way above Buneary!"

"Fury Swipes!" Streaming downwards, the feline descended on a shocked Buneary with slashing claws, sending the Pokemon tumbling back down to the ground and Dawn's points dropping even more.

"A direct hit!" the announcer gasped.

"Buneary, no!" Dawn exclaimed, worry beginning to creep into her voice as she watched the downed Pokemon with anxiousness.

_I'm not about to let her up again. _"Now, use Iron Tail!"

"Meowrr!" The feline wasn't done with its downward flight yet as its tail began to glow. Flipping extravagantly, it looked like the attack was about to make a devastating hit when suddenly Dawn called out an order.

"Grab it, quick!"

"What?" _She learned that from me!_

Zoey watched with astonishment as the Buneary rose and snapped its ears together right on a flustered Glameow's tail, holding off the attack with an impressive defensive maneuver. "That's it, Buneary!" Dawn cheered.

"Buneary's ears seem to have a certain Glameow by the tail!" the announcer exclaimed as Zoey's pointed dropped for the first time in the match.

"Hm. I'll admit that's an attractive move you made," Zoey quipped swiftly, the confidence quickly returning to her face, "but you need to remember to always follow up. Glameow, spin your tail!" The feline touched down with all fours on the ground and wound up its tail once more, causing the attached Buneary to whirl around and around like a top.

"Oh my! That tail has such power! Buneary's in a tail spin!"

_Haha… _

"Time for a little toss!" Zoey's command rang out, and Glameow spun around on its paws, flinging the Buneary into the air once more.

"Buneary! Straighten out, and use Ice Beam!"

The dazzling attack split the air once more as it headed straight for the Glameow. "Dodge it, quick!" The Glameow leaped agilely into the air as the Ice Beam slammed into the ground, freezing a large portion of the stage into a giant chunk of ice. When the Glameow landed again, it couldn't find stable footing and slipped, sliding on the ice as it desperately scrabbled for a claw hold.

"What do you know? Glameow's getting slipped up on that ice!"

Zoey scowled. "Dumb luck!" Dawn was better at this than she thought. That nagging voice in the back of her head laughed that Zoey had ever thought of going easy on her, and the redhead clenched her fist. There was no going easy now. She'd have to use every tactic she could think of to win this. Dawn or not, she wasn't about to see that Ribbon handed to anyone else.

"Quick Buneary, Dizzy Punch!"

The Pokemon ears glowed as it sped forward, bombarding the rooted Glameow with powerful blows as the feline meowed with frustration and pain.

"Glameow…!" Zoey fumbled for some idea of how to counter attack.

"And now Buneary, let's use Bounce!" The redhead could only watch hopelessly as the opponent jumped up and down on her felled Glameow, eliciting a cry every time it slammed down on the feline's back. Sparing a glance to the scoreboard, Zoey saw her points were steadily declining.

"Now that's teamwork! Dawn and Buneary are right in synch, and the audience is totally loving every second of it!" The crowd went wild with cheering as the attack continued, and Zoey bit her lip. There had to be some way to get out of this…

"This is it… this is what an appeal battle is all about…" Dawn's eager and quiet voice could only be heard by her opponent as she watched the timer tick past thirty.

"This is it, we're just past the thirty-second mark, and the final stage is waiting for the winner!"

"Buneary, Dizzy Punch one more time!" As the Pokemon leaped into the air once more to prepare for its attack, Zoey at last saw the opening.

"Glameow, use Shadow Claw straight down on the ice!" She watched with nervous satisfaction as the feline dug into the ice, sending large chunks of it flying into the air and slamming straight into the Buneary, stopping its attack and sending it flying.

"Buneary, look out!"

"What an idea! Glameow's using Shadow Claw to pulverize the ice, using the terrain for a beautiful counterattack!"

"Now, use Iron Tail!"

In one fell swoop, the feline launched into the air and flipped over, slamming a powerful Iron Tail right into the Buneary, sending it skidding to the ground again. Zoey once more allowed herself to relax a bit now that she was out of that little tight spot.

"Buneary! Get up, now!" As the Pokemon struggled to its feet, Dawn bit her lip. "Be strong, you can do it – huh?"

DING.

And the round was over as the timer struck zero, and Zoey's eyes flew to the scoreboard. She'd barely been paying attention to the points during this whole time, and now saw that the winner had only won by just a little bit. It had been a close match.

"Time's up! And that means… moving onto our final stage will be the winner, Zoey!" As her picture flashed again onto the panel, the redhead smiled and turned, bowing once more with her Glameow as a shocked Dawn stood opposite her. The girl let out a sigh and a weak smile appeared on her face as she approached the saddened Buneary. "Aw, Buneary, don't be sad. You were great out there."

"Buneary…"

---

"Glameow, use Shadow Claw!" Zoey watched with triumph as the feline slashed at the Carnivine, sending it flying backwards and releasing its Wrap hold on it. With another stunning Fury Swipes and an Iron Tail for the finish, the lady's Carnivine was down and out, and all her points gone.

"Oops! She's all out of points!" the announcer shouted over the microphone to a crowd that was going wild, "and with still twenty-one seconds left, we have a winner!"

Once more Zoey strode to center-stage and bowed low, her Glameow mimicking the movement beside her. At last, the Jubilife Ribbon was hers. As she raised her head once more and waited for the judges and announcer to descend and grant her the prize, her eyes sought out those of Dawn's in the audience, seated beside Ash and Brock. The two shared a momentary glance, and Dawn, noticing that Zoey was looking her way, stood up and waved eagerly, cupping her hands around her mouth afterwards and shouting something that dimly sounded like "congratulations!" through the roar of the crowd. Zoey blushed slightly and waved back with a smile – she hoped this wasn't the last time she'd see the blue-haired girl. Yet, some nagging feeling told her that she and Dawn would be competing in many more Contests together, and so the redhead was put at ease.

---

"Let's give a big hand to Zoey as she receives the prestigious Jubilife Ribbon!" the announcer exclaimed with a flamboyant flourish of her arm to the audience. Zoey reached down to take the blue and white-striped trinket from the President of the Coordinating Board, and raised it high above her head for everyone to see. A glint of late afternoon sunlight caught the metal, causing it to gleam as the roar of the audience only grew louder. "A gorgeous Ribbon, an appreciative crowd, and a great champion!!"

Dawn was among the small group of people gathered in a semi-circle about Zoey as she stood triumphantly on the raised platform center-stage. A genuine congratulatory light shone brightly in the younger girl's eyes as she clapped for the winner, and Zoey shifted her eyes away from the ribbon momentarily to offer Dawn a smile, as if to thank her.

But was she really thanking her?

Dawn smiled back, and Zoey's heart began to flutter again. Maybe she'd never really understand what sort of feelings she had for the beginner, oh well.

---

"You NEVER call me this much, Zoey – what's wrong? Are you on fire or something, cause seriously, I can't remember the last time you called me twice in one day - maybe when we were seven or something!?" The icy-eyed gym leader on the other side of the screen huffed and crossed her arms, staring at the redhead with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion flashing across her face.

"Geez Candice, if you don't want me to call, I won't."

"Ah! No! I didn't say that!" Candice all but tackled the screen, clutching the sides of the monitor with both hands. Again, several people walking by behind her gave her curious glances, but most just shrugged it off. Their gym leader was weird – they'd accepted that long ago. "I just wanted to know what's up?"

A small amused smile crossed the redhead's countenance – her friend was so predictable. "Check it out Candice, got my second Ribbon." Holding up the glimmering prize in one hand, Zoey smiled brightly, but that expression soon disappeared as her friend eyed the piece of metal with a strip of cloth attached to it and raised an eyebrow.

"Um… okay? I still don't really see what's so great about Contests," Candice replied in a bored tone, "but you can't have just called me for that. Is there anything else you wanted to say besides getting your second Ribbon?"

"No."

"You didn't call me when you won your first one. What's the hype about the second prize? There's gotta be a catch."  
"There's no catch."

"There has to be."

"I told you there is none!"

Finally Candice relented and leaned back, "Hmm… okay, whatever you say." Suddenly her expression brightened as she looked around, trying to peer past Zoey to see anything behind her. "Oh! Are there any cute boys over at Jubilife? I've never been there, so~"

Something about the way Candice asked that struck a nerve, and Zoey frowned, "No. And even if there were, I wouldn't be paying attention."

"Oh, right." The older girl pouted and huffed, "you don't notice that kind of stuff. Zoey, you're weird. How can you NOT be on the lookout for romance? I mean…" And thus Candice began to go on a rant that the redhead was really only half-listening to. Privately, she began to wonder. It was true that she never before had paid attention to the guys before. Back at home, Candice had always been the one fawning over the members of the opposing gender, whereas Zoey never really saw anything special about them.

But then she thought about Dawn, and that strange fluttering began again.

"Hey Candice?"

"… And he bought me flowers the other day, but I don't know, I think he –"

"Candice!"

"- only likes me for – huh?" The gym leader finally seemed to realize there was someone other than herself she was speaking to, and refocused her attention on the disgruntled-looking redhead. "Yeah, what?"

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Zoey lifted one hand to rest on her hip as she glanced away momentarily, blushing a bit. "You'd know better than I would – what does… 'falling in love', as you put it, feel like?"

The enthusiastic gym leader peered closer and was able to discern the subtle reddening of her friend's cheeks, and immediately she launched into: "OOOOHHHHH!! Does Zoey liiiiikkkkkeee someone!?!?"

"Ah! No, Candice, I don't! I just want to know!" The fact that she was blushing even more wasn't really helping her case though.

Candice quit her teasing, but it was obvious by the devious and knowing glint in her eye that she didn't honestly believe her friend's words. "Okay, okay, sure. Why do you ask?"  
Zoey turned away and scowled. "No reason."

"Uh huh. Well, I guess for future reference…!" From behind her, Candice pulled out a school-teacher hat and plopped it on her head, fixing on glasses with the other. "Love is a very mixed up emotion. At times it can be painful, while at other times it's pleasurable. It's most common characteristics are a classic throbbing of the heart when thinking or looking at the person of your affections, and wanting to be around them twenty-four seven, and when you're not around them, thinking about them all the time~" She continued to ramble on and on for a good while after Zoey had zoned out of the topic again, going back to her thoughts.

It sounded eerily like what she was feeling for Dawn. The redhead wasn't altogether sure how to feel about that – did she love Dawn? But they'd only just met! She didn't believe in that 'love at first sight' nonsense that Candice always spouted, but now, thinking back to when she'd first seen the younger coordinator just the day before… she couldn't say she hadn't felt _something. _

"And I hope you're taking notes, because there will be a test on this – hey, Zoey! Are you listening!?"

"Nah."

Zoey couldn't help but smile a bit as her friend huffed with indignity. Letting her hand rest on her waist once more, the redhead added calmly. "Well thanks for the tips, Candice. I have to get going – I'll talk to you some other time."

"What? You can't just hang up on me!"

"Bye, Candice."

"Zoey, don't you dare-!" Click.

Zoey smiled to herself whilst shaking her head as she turned off the monitor and made her way towards the front door of the Contest building. What Candice had said both troubled and enlightened her. If her wacky friend knew anything of what she was talking about, then those characteristics easily matched what Zoey felt about Dawn regularly. A hesitant flash entered her eyes, and she sighed, tucking the Ribbon absentmindedly into her golden Ribbon case and clicking it shut. Was she really falling for a girl? How was that even possible?

_I guess it doesn't really matter…_ But she knew it did.

---

"Good work Zoey."

"You deserve that Ribbon."

The first two compliments were received with grateful nods as the redhead smiled at the two boys. The sun was setting beyond the horizon now as the four stood just in front of the Contest Hall, each getting ready to part ways and head to their next destination. Who knew when they'd meet again? Beyond the treeline, the sunset cast shades of red and orange across the sky – the end of a long day and a fateful meeting.

"Now you've got your second Ribbon!" Dawn's chipper voice added in, and Zoey turned to look at her with a brief nod. A smile settled on her lips, and she blinked, glancing down at the ground.

"…_Common characteristics are a classic throbbing of the heart when thinking or looking at the person of your affections, and wanting to be around them twenty-four seven…"_

Candice's words flew through the redhead's mind as she looked up at Dawn once more, seeing her own reflection in those deep blue eyes. Maybe that's what it was then… love – because Zoey knew that there was no denying the aching that was tugging at her heartstrings at that moment. Whatever it was, Zoey knew that this wasn't just friendship she felt.

She could only wonder if Dawn felt the same.

_Nah, what are the chances? Get real. _

"Thanks, to all of you," Zoey replied, tearing her gaze from Dawn to look at Ash and Brock, and then her eyes wandered back to the younger girl again. "Dawn, so tell me. How was your first Contest?" Anything to get her mind off of Candice's foreboding words.

She was amused to see Dawn grin excitedly. "It was like riding the biggest roller coaster ever! But it was a lot of fun. Zoey, will I see you at another Contest?" The redhead was a little surprised by this question – she didn't imagine Dawn would be wondering the same thing she had been. _I hope so,_ she wanted to say, but she dimly wondered if that would reveal too much. Dawn sounded eager enough about the prospect, and it was a struggle to maintain a casual tone as Zoey responded.

"You'll just have to… show up."

"Hm. I've got one more thing I wanna say to you!"

"… Huh?"

Dawn's eyes brightened with that now-familiar light of determination, made strangely even more alluring to the redhead in the light of the setting sun that cast a faint tanned hue over the younger coordinator's skin. "I know I may not look like much now, but I'm going to keep training until I become a great coordinator too!" She clenched her fist in enthusiasm, the spark in her eyes becoming ever prominent. "Just like you. And ooohh, I'll beat cha!"

A moment of silence passed between the two coordinators as Zoey stood there with a mildly surprised expression, her mouth morphed into a small 'o' shape. At last, she relaxed again, and a smirk crossed her face as she once more lifted a hand to settle on her hip. "Well… I'll just take that as a sideways compliment." Looking up at Dawn with a glimmer in her eyes, Zoey used her other hand to pull down the sunglasses nestled atop her head of red hair so that they covered her eyes. "You're sweet, and I'll be looking forward to our next Contest."

Extending her arm, Zoey allowed her hand to slip into Dawn's for a gentle, simple handshake. The two locked gazes once more, and then, before she said anything even more embarrassing (as her cheeks were already beginning to redden as she realized what she'd just said), Zoey turned and started down the path, loathing to leave Dawn behind, but knowing they'd meet again someday.

With a promise like that from the younger girl, how could they not?

"I will too!" she heard said girl call from behind her, "even more than you!" Surprisingly choked up with emotion from having to leave the girl who'd made such a strange lasting impression, Zoey didn't trust herself to respond vocally. Instead, she simply raised a hand and flicked her wrist to the side in farewell, and continued on her way.

_I'll see you again alright. _She thought to herself with a smile as she headed away from the city. _Dawn, I don't know who you are, but you're a special girl, that's for sure. _

After all, in that simple handshake, a promise to become rivals wasn't the only thing that had been sworn. Unknowingly, Zoey had sealed her heart into the deal as well.

---

Alright, and that's it! 8D

Please let me know what you think in a review, thanks!

The sections with Candice were great fun. xDD I think I laughed while writing them.

Also, please tell me whether you think I spent too much time describing the Contest battles – I know that wasn't terribly important, but I didn't think I should've left them out? I dunno – feedback on that, please? X3

Thanks for reading, and stick around for my next oneshot!

- Mimi


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